Both cameras and flash memory continue to get smaller, and therefore can be fitted inside more space-restricted devices and objects. Typically the benefits are seen in the latest smartphones and tablets, which carry every greater amounts of flash memory and higher quality camera parts. But security company Swann has decided there’s another gadget that would benefit from being able to capture and store photos and video: a pen.

There’s two versions of this pen available for aspiring spies and informants. The cheaper option is the PenCam 4GB, which offers up 4GB of on-board storage accessible via a built-in USB connection. On the exterior you’ll find a hidden camera just above the clip, which is capable of capturing video and images at 640 x 480 resolution and storing them on the built-in flash memory in AVI and JPEG formats, respectively. 4GB of storage gives you 90 minutes of video, and an unspecified number of images, but it’s going to be a few thousand.

The second pen takes thing up a notch and is called the HD PenCam. As you’d expect, the camera on board is HD-capable and can capture video and images at 1280 x 720. The on-board storage has gone, but that’s no bad thing as it’s being replaced with a MicroSD card slot. It takes cards up to 16GB on to which you can store 150 minutes of HD video.

Swann has been nice enough to include 3 ink refills with each PenCam so you can actually use it as a pen too. There’s also software for easy transfer of the data and upload to the usual crowd of online video services.

One area where both PenCams are let down is the on-board battery. Space is limited in a pen, but it’s still disappointing that the HD PenCam can only last for 45 minutes before it needs recharging via USB. That means the 150 minutes of video you can fit on a 16GB card will require a break to recharge before it’s filled. The PenCam 4GB battery at least matches the 90 minute recording time its storage allows. The only other complaint I’ve got is about the design of the pen. It’s hardly modern and there doesn’t seem to be any color options.

If you want a coat pocket video recorder then the PenCam 4GB costs $69.99. The HD PenCam raises that price to $99.99, but remember you’ll also need to purchase a MicroSD card before recording.